There are many sad stories around sites getting hit by Google algorithm updates, such as core updates and of course the September 2023 helpful content update. But Hardbacon, a financial and budgeting company, was hit hard by those Google updates, then announced the company would file for bankruptcy the day before the August 2024 core update.
Then the next day, they saw their Google organic search traffic quadruple thanks to the August core update.
The CEO, Julien Brault, posted about it on LinkedIn (found via Glenn Gabe). He wrote, "After mourning the loss of Hardbacon and accepting the reality that the company was no longer viable without Google traffic, I announced the cessation of our operations and the upcoming bankruptcy of the company... last Thursday."
Google destroyed his bacon - literally...
Then later that Thursday, Google announced the release of the core update. The following day, folks started to see some progress and returns. One of those sites was Hardbacon. "Every update since September 2023 has resulted in a decrease in Hardbacon traffic from Google," Julien Brault said.
Julien Brault wrote, "The next day, Google launched an update." Then what happened, "this latest update quadrupled Hardbacon's traffic from Google in 4 days, and it seems to be doubling every day."
Here is the chart Julien shared:
What does this mean for Hardbacon on its staff? "Given our financial situation, it's probably too little, too late," Julien explained. He said that today, this Friday, he has to sign the bankruptcy documents. Will he end up doing that? I don't know.
He added, "Also, after 11 months of dismantling my business piece by piece, and accumulating bad news every day, I don't know if I have what it takes to rebuild, even if our traffic returns to a level where Hardbacon would be viable..."
He blamed Google for Google's mistake for killing his business. "In short, it seems that it took Google 11 months to correct the mistake they made in September 2023, and the damage is done," he wrote.
He knows he is not alone, he wrote, "For Hardbacon, but also for thousands of companies that depended on Google."
Finally, he wrote, "To be honest, this bankruptcy is even more heartbreaking knowing that those who get their hands on Hardbacon at a ridiculously low price will get rich on my back and that of our 2000 investors."
Here is Glenn Gabe's post on this:
Whoa, terrible timing for this situation. I hope they can hold on... The CEO of https://t.co/NgxcMDIVy7 said traffic is surging back for them based on the August core update (after a big HCUX hit), but that's after officially shutting down on 8/15 -> https://t.co/NgxcMDIVy7 shuts… pic.twitter.com/JZfSqtZPGI
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) August 22, 2024
Sadly, this is the story many of us hear way too often. I mean, I've heard it with literally every Google update over the past 20 years. But that September 2023 helpful content update was ruthless and it happened 11 months ago, for any business with employees to survive 11 months without Google traffic - well, that is almost impossible.
Forum discussion at LinkedIn.
